The Little Red River Group of Companies is a group of companies formed with the goal of supporting the sustained growth and socioeconomic freedom of the Little Red River Cree Nation in Alberta. From their home base in the town of High Level, the group operates businesses in the civil, marine and home construction, forestry, firefighting, equipment rentals, and propane distribution and retail industries. With each of those businesses, they strive to be a leading provider in their field, and to cultivate a workforce of highly-trained and highly-skilled First Nations community members. “We are committed to employing, training, coaching, and developing our First Nations community members,” says Jon McQuinn, CEO of the Little Red River Group. “Our employees are our most important asset. It is our employees who deliver a positive image of the company, and we are extremely proud of the social impact they have within the Little Red River Cree Nation.” “As we grow our business,” he adds, “we look to set an example of what a successful First Nation owned business can provide in terms of sustainable well-paying employment opportunities for our community members.” In order to create that impact and set that example, however, the Little Red River Group recognizes that they need to draw on the knowledge and experience of alreadyestablished industry experts. To that end, they have worked with some industry veterans with many years’ experience in order to help lead and grow their divisions. The group’s civil construction division, for example, is called ‘Caribou Mountain Construction.’ Until recently, that division was led was headed by Gareth Jones, who has personally been in the construction industry for over FEBRUARY 2024
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